


Three Captains and a Lieutenant

by suemarysue



Series: Snapshots [10]
Category: Captain Marvel (2019), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Domestic, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Captain Marvel (2019), just three people having a happy time, maybe the fluffiest thing I've ever written, soft, very soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:35:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27025168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suemarysue/pseuds/suemarysue
Summary: Carol briefly self-isolates after absorbing a solar flare to make sure she won't bring anything dangerous back to her family. When she gets the all clear and finally returns late at night, Maria's awake holding their new baby granddaughter.Happy family time with Carol, Maria, Monica, and the new baby in early 2024.
Relationships: Carol Danvers & Maria Rambeau & Monica Rambeau, Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau
Series: Snapshots [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1467181
Comments: 9
Kudos: 60





	Three Captains and a Lieutenant

**Author's Note:**

> I considered making this an epilogue to [Fall To Pieces](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23727922), but I think it really stands on its own. It's also so tonally different, and you don't need to have read Fall to Pieces before this one.
> 
> I wanted to bring some sweet content into the world. Thanks for reading!

_Just got the all clear from Doc Cho :-)_

_Hooah_ 😄

_Still a few hours before I can leave … paperwork :-( You don’t need to wait up_

_Okay_ 😴  _See you in the morning. Love you!_

_Love you xoxoxo_

Three days ago, Carol absorbed a solar flare that would’ve caused a lot of havoc on Earth. It’s been a decade since she absorbed any kind of solar flare, and she’d never done one this large before, so she decided to get a full medical workup from Helen Cho and the Avengers medical team before leaving the compound, to make sure she was OK, and that she wasn’t holding any dangerous solar energy that she could transmit to others. All of her tests just came back clear, so once she finishes some paperwork, she can head back to her family.

She and Maria are staying up in New York for a few weeks, helping Monica with the new baby. Monica’s husband Eugene was asked to consult in Iceland for a few days on a major artifact discovery… and Monica’s addressing a conference remotely …. and the baby is only a few weeks old …. so Monica asked for some extra help with Evelyn so that both she and Eugene could do their work. Eugene would’ve stayed, but Monica insisted he go—he would’ve done the same for her—and Maria and Carol were more than happy to help out.

But then a solar flare threatened Earth, so Carol had to leave to go take care of that.

It’s been a busy first three months of 2024.

Carol’s very happy to get medical clearance so she can go back to her family.

Once upon a time, Carol probably wouldn’t have been so careful, wouldn’t have waited for a full medical report before going home. But she’s ~~in her 60s~~ older now, a wife, and a mom, and part of the Avengers, and there’s a new baby to look out for. So while she knew she was probably fine, being patient and responsible was the best course of action.

Patient and responsible. _If Lawson could see me now_ , she thinks, quite unexpectedly, and stops typing for a moment. She doesn’t not think about Lawson, but she’s always been someone she keeps in a difficult to reach spot. Lawson’s the “person she most admires,” after all, and it’s always been quite painful to relive, not just how she died, but how she lived, and think of everything they didn’t get to do.

But Carol’s been working on herself a lot over the past year, and she’s talked about Lawson a lot with her therapist, so it’s not too surprising, she supposes, she would think of her. Plus, her granddaughter, that perfect little baby she can’t wait to see again, is named Evelyn Wendy, after Maria’s mother and Lawson, which was quite touching when Monica told her and Maria the baby’s name.

Carol gets back around Midnight, and quietly lets herself into the house. She and Maria are staying in the guest room on the first floor, and she’s able to slip in without too much noise. She doesn’t want to wake anyone, especially the baby upstairs.

But when she gets to their room, Maria’s sitting up in bed, their granddaughter in her arms.

“Thought you were going to sleep.”

“I was, but then someone had other ideas.” Maria looks down at Evelyn. “I think she wanted to see her grandma come home.”

Carol puts a hand to her heart. “Let me get cleaned up and then I will join this party. How’s the Lieutenant?”

“Exhausted.”

“I’ll bet. But her speech went well?”

“I think so! She seemed happy. We eavesdropped a little, and were very impressed, weren’t we Evelyn?” Evelyn doesn’t react. “She agrees. She loved it. Monica crashed right after, so I’m letting her sleep.”

“Okay, two minutes.” Carol takes sweatpants and a t-shirt out of a drawer and goes into the bathroom across the hall. The shower turns on a moment later.

Maria looks down at her granddaughter. “Grandma’s home!”

Evelyn squeaks.

“And Daddy will be home tomorrow!”

Evelyn squeaks again.

Maria had been about to go to bed, but when she checked on Evelyn, she found her stirring and starting to get cranky in her crib. Monica was so tired, and the baby has been so cranky at night lately, Maria didn’t want to take any chances that Monica would get woken up. She brought Evelyn down to their room, and set up the travel crib next to the bed, but Evelyn wouldn’t agree to anything other than being held by Maria.

Which was absolutely, one hundred percent, fine with Maria.

So she piled up a bunch of pillows, and sat up in bed holding and talking to her granddaughter. She always liked sitting like this with Monica. Maria turned on the television to help make sure she didn’t doze off with the baby in her lap, knowing Carol would be back soon and she just needed to stay awake until she did.

Evelyn’s gurgling happily while they wait for Carol to finish her shower, and it’s relaxing.

Calling it a rough year would be an understatement. Maria doesn’t even know how to describe waking up and missing five years and having to work to rebuild your life with your wife who thought you were dead. She’s been on both sides of this now, both she and Carol have been on both sides of this, and even going through it once is too much for anyone.

But they started going to therapy together and it really helped, and even since they’ve been “back together,” they’ve continued. It’s still only been a few months, and they still have their awkward and tentative moments, but for the most part, things have been getting better every day, and they’ve both been so happy to be back together again.

And now she gets to hold this tiny, perfect, beautiful, amazing baby. Her granddaughter. Named after Maria's mother. This baby with her bright, wide eyes, ready to experience the world. She reminds her so much of Monica sometimes that it makes her so happy it hurts. Maria’s sure she probably smiles every time she looks at Evelyn. Which is just fine.

Maria looks up and sees a freshly showered Carol, leaned up against the doorway, watching them. “Hey … how long have you been there for?”

“A little while. It’s a nice view.”

“Get over here right now.”

“Yes, ma’am. ... Hi Evelyn. Hi sweetheart,” Carol coos as she climbs under the covers and slides next to Maria. “She’s so cute. I can’t take it.”

“Do you want to hold her?”

“If she’s happy and quiet with you, let’s keep it that way.” Carol puts her left arm around Maria’s waist and rests her head on her wife’s shoulder. “How is she so perfect?”

“I don’t know. She really is.” Maria turns her head and kisses Carol’s not quite short hair, wet from the shower. “How are you?”

“Tired, and exhausted, but not at all sleepy, and also the most awake and energized I’ve ever been. Feel like could fly to Pluto and back in ten seconds and also like Mjolnir is on top of me.”

“Well you do know what it’s like to be stuck under that thing.”

“It was one time! It was an accident! You be quiet.” Carol lifts her head and kisses Maria … first her chin, then her cheek, then finally her lips, soft and sweet.

“Maybe I’ll keep talking if you’re gonna kiss me like that,” Maria grins.

Carol kisses her again, but only for a moment because Evelyn gurgles and reaches for Carol’s hand. “Evelyn, how do you never sleep? What’s your secret?” She leans in and Evelyn reaches for the chain around her neck, which holds her wedding ring and Maria’s dog tag. “Hey now, not that. We've talked about this.” Carol puts it under her shirt.

Evelyn squeaks.

“She was upset?” Carol continues to make silly faces and sounds at the baby.

“Yeah, I think she had a nightmare. She’s been calm here, but if I try to put her back down it’s a no go.” Maria then changes the subject. “Eugene called tonight, he’s on his way and he’ll be back in the morning. I was thinking, when we go upstate to see the doc tomorrow, maybe we spend the night at that bed and breakfast you spotted?”

Carol looks up, intrigued. Between helping with the baby, and various Avengers issues on Earth and in space, they haven’t spent a lot of time … together … over the last several weeks. Monica had given them a Valentine’s Day trip, but they’d postponed it because Evelyn had just arrived. “Yes, yes, I’ll book it right now.” She reaches for her phone from the nightstand and types quickly. “I hope they still have a room.”

“It’d be a shame,”Maria pauses to kiss Carol’s shoulder, “to let your extra energy go to waste.”

“There’s only one room left, don’t distract me.” Carol types for a few more moments and then tosses the phone back on the nightstand. “Done! Booked two nights, so we don’t have to rush to leave on Saturday.” Carol wraps her arms back around Maria’s waist. “If you want to get some rest, I’ll hold you both.”

“I’m OK for a little longer. I like looking at her.”

“Yeah, me too.” Carol nods in the direction of the television, quietly playing the Home Shopping Network. “What’d ya buy?” Maria’s been on an online/television shopping spree ever since Monica would not let her throw a baby shower. (To be fair, so has Carol.)

“Who says I bought anything?”

“When does it get here?”

Maria gives Carol a look that is far less serious than she would like it to be. Carol grins.

“What’d ya buy?”

“A blanket with teddy bears. She’ll love it! It’ll be here this weekend.”

Carol’s about to respond, but Maria silences her with a quick kiss on the lips. “You’re one to talk.”

Carol sticks her tongue out and earns another kiss.

“I’m really glad to be back here with you, sweetheart,” Carol says to her granddaughter, and then looks at Maria. “And you too, Rambeau. Stinks that you and Monica had to manage by yourselves the past few days.”

“Well you were a little busy.”

“I’ll get every diaper until we have to leave tomorrow.”

“We will definitely take you up on that.”

“Good.” Carol rests her head on Maria’s shoulder again. “Tell me about your day, please.”

“We went to the park,” Maria begins, “didn’t we?”

Maria fills in Carol on her day with Evelyn, and Carol shares more details about her encounter with the solar flare, and they both play with Evelyn, who seems to have more energy than even Carol. It’s after Midnight, but no one’s interested in sleeping any time soon.

Around 1 a.m., Monica knocks on the doorway, a glass of water in her hand.

“Can I come in? Did you wake my daughter?”

They wave her in and she looks at the TV. “Oh no, what did you buy?”

“No, I have been keeping your daughter from waking you up,” Maria says. “And … a few things.”

“A few things?” Carol laughs.

“Mom, we just got this house and we’re already running out of room.”

“I didn’t say it was all for here.”

“We’re running out of room, too, babe.”

“Don’t ‘babe’ me.” Maria raises an eyebrow at Carol. “Or we can change our plans…”

“You know what? It’s good. I like the stuff. I’ll make more room.”

“Gross.” Monica yawns and walks to Maria’s side of the bed. “Can I squeeze in here?”

“Absolutely,” Maria says, gently moving over, so as not to disturb the baby in her arms. Carol slides over as well.

“What are you doing still awake, little one?” Monica kisses Evelyn’s forehead. “Carol, you’re not radioactive anymore, I guess?”

“No more than usual.”

Maria laughs and kisses Carol’s temple. Monica watches, a wide smile on her face.

“You two seem so good, so happy.”

“We are,” Carol answers immediately.

“We’re working really hard on it.” Maria looks at her wife. “We’re happy. It’s been really good.”

“I’m glad. I know it’s been a tough year … but I feel like we’re right where we’re supposed to be now.”

Maria and Carol would find it hard to disagree.

“Your speech went well?”

“Yes!” Monica says, excited. “And then I just crashed, I was so tired. Sorry, Mom.”

“It’s OK, baby. That’s what we’re here for.”

Jealous of being left out of the conversation, Evelyn squeals and squirms in Maria’s arms until she gets her grandmother’s attention back. “Yes, how can I help you darling?”

Suddenly, Carol remembers something. “Oh! Thor gave me a present for Evelyn!”

“Which Thor?” Both Monica and Maria ask.

“Ha! The original one. Be right back.” Carol jogs out of the room and to the kitchen where she left her knapsack.

“Our life is so weird.” Monica puts her head on Maria’s shoulder and presses her finger to her daughter’s nose. “You better not be pulling another all-nighter.”

Evelyn squeaks and pulls her mother’s finger into her mouth.

“Can you blame us all for being awake when she’s this cute?” Maria says.

“No, I guess not.”

A moment later, Carol returns with … an enormous stuffed animal. It’s easily six feet long and three feet wide.

“Now I really am going to need an extra room. What is it?”

“It’s a bilgesnipe, which, I thought they were bad, but Thor says this one isn’t. It’s like a good magic one. And is for protection and strength. It’s… based on a pet he had? I don’t know. He had a very long story about it and I had just absorbed a solar flare.”

“It’s not like … actually magic right? It’s not gonna turn into anything?”

“Nope, nope. That part I made sure I followed. He had this custom made in Norway, on Earth, of his pet … Bilgy! That’s the name. Bilgy.”

“Wow, that’s a thoughtful gift. I’ve only met him once.”

“I think he likes babies.” Carol puts Bilgy down in front of the foot of the bed, where it now covers the entire area between the bed and the door. She climbs back under the covers and cuddles next to Maria again. “And who wouldn’t like this baby? Isn’t that right, Captain Cute?”

“Captain?” Monica gasps. “She’s not even two months old and she outranks me?”

“I don’t make the rules. Look at that face!”

“Mom!”

“Leave me out of this.”

Monica sighs. “She should outrank all of us then. How about Colonel Cute?”

“Well,” Carol says, considering it, “we do all take orders from her. What do you say, Rambeau?”

“This has always been between the two of you,” Maria shrugs. “I’m not getting involved.”

Carol laughs. “Alright.” She stops to take a long look at the baby. “You win. Colonel Cute it is.”

“Colonel Cute, did you hear that?” Monica tickles her daughter. “Now Carol, while we’re at it—”

“Nope.”

Eventually Monica falls back asleep, and somehow Carol drifts off as well.

“Just the two of us again, huh?”

Evelyn sticks her own hand in her mouth.

“Yeah, I like this, too.”


End file.
